Pathetic roads: Mayor orders urgent repair

Madurai: Roads in key areas such as Periyar bus stand, Madurai railway station, Veli streets, and residential neighbourhoods such as Bypass Road, Vanamamalai Nagar, Namashivaya Nagar, Vel Murugan Nagar and Duraiswamy Nagar are in deplorable state, said residents at a grievance meeting in the central zone on Tuesday.
Responding to the grievances, mayor Indrani Ponvasanth along with corporation commissioner C Dinesh Kumar inspected these areas and directed officials to begin immediate patchwork to improve road conditions.
The city has been experiencing continuous rainfall over the past two weeks, exacerbating the damage to roads and triggering an increase in number of complaints on the same.
During the meeting, members of the Duraiswamy Nagar Residents’ Association, asked the mayor to repair roads and the underground drainage system in their locality. C Murugan, president of the association, said that although lift wells were constructed, persistent sewage leaks remain an issue after rainfall. He also said that poor conditions of many interior roads led to frequent minor accidents.
Rathinapuram (ward 75) residents raised concerns over irregular water supply. Traders from Masi streets reported sewage leaks from the underground drainage system (UGD) in their area. They also complained about damaged roads in the Veli streets surrounding the Meenakshi Amman temple.
Mayor Ponvasanth inspected Veli streets and West Marret Street, Jail Road, DB Main Road, and four Masi streets and instructed officials to expedite patchwork.
She then visited the Kiruthumal channel and told officials to carry out desilting before the northeast monsoon to prevent flooding and drainage issues in the city.